The University of Oregon campus hosts a celebration of international song, dance, crafts, languages and ideas Friday, April 27, at the Yamada Language Center’s 23rd Annual Foreign Language and International Studies Day. More than 2,200 Oregon high school students will attend classes to broaden their cultural awareness and appreciation of foreign languages. "Our main goal is to stress the importance of studying language and culture, and make it relevant and fun," says Dawn Liu, event coordinator. "We want to introduce students to the languages and cultures they can study at the UO, and give them a feel for the university environment." The theme for the event is "Our Cultures, Our Lives." The students, most of whom attend in groups from language classes at their schools, can learn more about the languages they currently study or those less commonly taught, such as Hebrew, Maasai, American Sign Language, Thai and Nahuatl. Also among the 117 scheduled presentations are classes about other cultures, such as "German Hip-Hop—Non-Stop," "Fortune Telling at Japanese Shrines," "Italian Festivities and Traditions" and "Masks and Meaning in Africa." The event begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Ballroom of the Erb Memorial Union, 1222 E. 13th Ave., followed by presentations across campus until 3 p.m.

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